Anyone with contact lenses and long fingernails? How do you remove the lenses?

Question

Just got fitted for contact lenses - first time ever wearing them and I'm in my 40's! Doc said I may have to cut the nails short on my thumb & forefinger...ack! Anyone have a way to get around this? I watched a couple of You Tube videos on how to remove contacts, but no one had long nails.

Answer 1

trim back the nails a bit on those fingers, as they grow back you'll get used to putting them in with long nails.  It worked for me

Answer 2

I have long fingernails and contact lenses for years so when I take them out I use the ball of my fingertips. You kinda have to make your figers that you use to take them out turn away from your face. It's not hard to do. And you also don't scratch your eye with your nails.

Answer 3

Pretty much what the others said that had long nails.  My nails aren't short either so I just use the balls of my pointer finger and push the contact to the side of my eye, which causes it to roll up and I blink the contact out in 3 seconds or less.  I don't like the pinch your contact out with your pointer and thumb method anyways, it could scratch your eyes.

Answer 4

You just have to position your fingers differently, that's all. Instead of using the tip of your finger you can use the side. It may feel awkward at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Be careful with the tweezers like things. You could scratch your eyes if you don't use it properly. I suggest talking to your optometrist about it and see if he can show you how to use them.

Answer 5

Someone gave me this great tip - just move them from side to side a little before you try to remove them. I just do it with the fleshy part of my forefinger. My nails aren't uber long but they're not short either.

Answer 6

Tighten lids and squeeze them out.

Answer 7

I used to have long nails (don't bother now), but the only way I could do it was to place the pad of my finger on the lens and slide it down. Folds the lens in half, but it's out. Gotta do it fast, of course, and you might drop it, but a little practice should refine your technique.

Answer 8

I use the side of my pointer finger and the side of my thumb -

first I use the side of my pointer finger to touch the bottom of the lens and slide it down off my cornea - then I pinch the lens with the side of my pointer finger and the side of my thumb.  The nails never get in the way!

Answer 9

You could always use contact lens removers such as these for soft contacts:

http://www.aclens.com/da.asp?ID=51

or these for rigid gas permeable contacts below:

http://www.aclens.com/da.asp?ID=45